Problem on land encroachers of Benguet State University’s (BSU) properties confronts the new administration.
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Former Department of Science and Technology (DOST) regional director Ben Ladilad, now the new president of BSU, faced issues on land encroachers as he assumed his new office last December 6.
However, as a new president, Ladilad is still not aware of the situation.
“I will create a task force to investigate the problem the soonest possible,” he said.
BSU Land Reservation Engineer Feliciano delos Santos said there are around 800 to 1,000 families who are illegal settlers within the BSU properties.
“Most of the area encroached are parts of Barangays Balili, Tawang and Lubas,” he said.
Delos Santos added 79 hectares were grabbed by the informal settlers wherein most of them are from Mt. Province.
“In our lot 1, we cannot determine the unclear lands. In lot 2, we have 152 hectares but 15 were captured by the squatters. In lot 3, it is totally lived in by these illegal settlers, three hectares were only left for the school,” delos Santos said.
“We cannot just send the settlers away, anjan na sila, e. The best way to settle the problem is for them to enter into memorandum of agreement (MOA) with BSU,” the school’s Land Reservation Director Henry Bolinto said.
He said the MOA will enable BSU to collect a minimum rent of the lot yearly from the squatters.
Meanwhile, Bolinto and delos Santos disapproved the earlier accusations of the Indigenous Peoples who call themselves “original settlers.”
Prior to the new administration, a group of indigenous peoples (IPs) headed by elders and the natives called on President Benigno Aquino III for their lands that were captured by BSU.
The IPs said the expansion of BSU resulted to their lands allegedly being grabbed during the martial law. IPs did not react then because of the existence of the martial law.
“The BSU only started with a small land, which was donated by a concerned citizen. But the school kept on expanding and is still expanding today. The school took away our lands and they kicked us away from our homes,” read the petition to the President filed three months ago.
The petitioners are still waiting for the action of the President.
Bolinto admitted there might be some natives affected but there are only few of them. “Usually, the petitioners depend on the tax declarations on their lands but it is only for taxation purposes.”
Decade ago, tax declaration is the only available means to ensure the ownership of a certain land of the IPs. (SunStar / by Rubyloida Bitog)
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